The United States has again called on China and Japan to maintain composure over their dispute regarding a group of islands in the East China Sea.

A senior State Department official said U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton conveyed such a stance when she met with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi in New York on Thursday.

The official said that Clinton called on China to calmly handle the issue regarding the islands in the East China Sea and for Beijing to resolve the matter with Tokyo through dialogue. The U.S. has repeatedly urged both Asian countries to calmly address their conflict over the islands.

Clinton and Yang also exchanged views on North Korea, China and Tibet’s human rights as well as economic cooperation.